Karoline Leavitt says Tim Walz has turned Minneapolis into land of '10,000 Somali schemes'

WASHINGTON, DC: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took a dig at Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and said that Minneapolis, which was once known as the land of 10,000 lakes, has now turned into the 'land of 10,000 Somali schemes' because of the Governor.

Leavitt gave her take on why Tim Walz dropped out of the gubernatorial race during a conversation with Fox News' Jesse Watters on 'Jesse Watters Primetime' on Monday, January 5.

Karoline Leavitt says Tim Walz's policies have failed his own people

During the segment on Monday, Jesse Watters asked Karoline Leavitt if it surprises her what is happening with Tim Walz after the Minnesota Governor abandoned his re-election bid.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't. The scale of the fraud that the Trump administration, with the help of great independent journalists, like Nick Shirley, is uncovering right now is truly shocking. But President Trump has been calling out Tim Walz for his incompetence and corrupt leadership for a very long time," Karoline Leavitt said. 

The White House Press Secretary added, "Trump was right about everything, and this is another example of that. Which is why Governor Walz is dropping out of the race for re-election. This is a man who can no longer even win the support of the voters within his home state because his policies have failed them."

"Now the great people of Minnesota, a state that was once known as the land of 10,000 lakes, has been turned into the land of 10,000 Somali schemes, because of their Governor. Don't forget, this is the guy who was at the top of the Democratic party's ticket," Leavitt mentioned. 

Tim Walz announced on Monday that he would no longer seek a third term. The Minnesota governor has been under intense scrutiny over fraud allegations in his state, which were amplified in a viral video posted by Shirley.

DHS sends 2,000 agents to Minnesota

The Trump administration started a large-scale deployment of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel to the Minneapolis-St Paul area, escalating federal immigration enforcement and fraud investigations in Minnesota.

As per several law enforcement officials, the operation could involve as many as 2,000 agents over the coming month. It marks one of the most significant federal law enforcement concentrations in a US city in recent years. The deployment will continue for at least 30 days, as per officials. 

Federal law enforcement officials told CBS News that several agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations were sent to the Twin Cities as part of an expanded immigration crackdown tied to ongoing fraud probes.

The operation will include officers from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, which conducts arrests and deportations, along with investigators from Homeland Security Investigations, the DHS’s criminal investigative arm.

Officials familiar with the plan mentioned that the total deployment could reach roughly 2,000 personnel, including up to 600 HSI agents and as many as 1,500 ICE ERO officers rotating through the area.